Open AccessFormation of stable chromatin structures on the histone H4 gene during differentiation in Tetrahymena thermophila.
Author(s) -
David S. Pederson,
K Shupe,
Gary A. Ban,
Martin A. Gorovsky
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
molecular and cellular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.14
H-Index - 327
eISSN - 1067-8824
pISSN - 0270-7306
DOI - 10.1128/mcb.6.8.3014
Subject(s) - biology , dnase i hypersensitive site , chromatin , tetrahymena , hypersensitive site , micrococcal nuclease , macronucleus , deoxyribonuclease i , histone , histone h4 , nucleosome , transcription (linguistics) , pioneer factor , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , minichromosome , nuclease , genetics , linguistics , philosophy , base sequence
The relationship between chromatin structure and the transcriptional activity of the histone H4-I gene of Tetrahymena thermophila was explored. Indirect end-labeling studies demonstrated that major DNase I- and micrococcal nuclease-hypersensitive sites flank the active macronuclear genes but not the inactive micronuclear genes. Runon transcription experiments with isolated macronuclei indicated that histone gene transcription rates decreased when cells were starved. However, macronuclear nuclease-hypersensitive sites persisted upon starvation. Thus, one level of transcriptional control of the H4-I gene results in altered chromatin structure and is established during nuclear differentiation. The rate of transcription is also controlled, but not through hypersensitive site-associated structures.